The Department of History at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in the University of Malaya is the oldest and most distinguished school of history in Malaysia. It was established at the University of Malaya campus in Kuala Lumpur on 15 January 1959. The early foundations of the department were laid by notable historians such John Bastin, Wang Gungwu, D.K. Bassett, C.M. Turnbull, Anthony J.S. Reid, and William R. Roff. The works of these scholars were highly acclaimed internationally in their individual areas of expertise. The department has continued this rich tradition of scholarship and is presently a leading centre for the study of Malaysian and Southeast Asian history.

Dr. John Bastin of Australia was appointed as the first professor of history in the department in the 1959/60 academic term. Four other notable academicians from the University of Malaya’s Singapore campus, namely Dr. Wang Gangwu, Dr. H.A. Lamb, Dr. D.K. Bassett and Dr. C.M. Turnbull, joined the pioneering academic staff of the newly-formed department in Kuala Lumpur. Academicians recruited by the department in the 1960s included Zainal Abidin Wahid, Dr. R.O. Quested, J.S. Sidhu, Dr. J.A.M. Caldwell, Jeyamalar Kathirithamby (who graduated from Singapore), Dr. J.M. Pluvier, B.A.V. Peacock, Anthony Short, J.A. Frodsham, Cheng Siok Hwa, H.A. Lamb, R.W. Winks, A.J.S. Reid, William R. Roff, D. Routledge and R. Dubsky. Chandran Jeshurun was the department’s first tutor appointed in 1962, followed by Goh Yoon Foong and R. Bonney in 1963 – all of whom were subsequently promoted as lecturers.

During the early 1970s, the department received more newcomers whose individual works are now considered outstanding. They were Mohd. Kamlin, Dr. Leonard Andaya, John Drabble, Tjoa Hock Guan, James Ongkili, Heather Sutherland, Dr. Chong Yoke Sin, Tin Hla Thaw (a Burmese), Dahlan Mansoer, Omar Farouk and Azmi Khalid. Also in the list were prominent academicians such as J. Chandran, Chin Yoon Foong, R.R. Bonney, Khoo Kay Kim, Krishen Jit Amar Singh, M. Thambirajah, Lee Kam Hing, Stephen M.Y. Leong, Goh Cheng Teik and Kannan Kutty Nair. In the mid-1970s, Malek Munip, M. Rajendran, K.S. Nathan and Mohd. Yusoff Hashim were four local graduates who were each offered the post of lecturer in the Department.

Many local graduates, soon after completing their undergraduate studies, were appointed as lecturers throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s. They included Abdullah Zakaria Ghazali, Amarjit Kaur, Ramlah Adam, Mohd. Fadzil Othman, Mahadzir Mohd. Khir, Abdul Aziz Mat Ton, Mohd. Hear Awang, Muhammad Abu Bakar, Abdullah Azmi Abdul Khalid, Malek Munip, Aruna Gopinanth, Ranjit Singh, Leong Sau Heng, Zainon Ahmad (who later worked with the New Straits Times and The Sun), Latif Abu Bakar, Sanib Said and Adnan Haji Awang.

Following the retirement of several lecturers in the early 1990s, the Department of History began hiring younger historians with a broad range of specializations. Among the prominent ones were Mohammad Redzuan Othman (History of the Middle East), Shakila Parween Yacob (History of the United States), Ahmad Kamal Ariffin Mohd. Rus (Social History of Malaysia), Sivachandalingam Sundara Raja (Economic History of Malaysia), Danny Wong Tze-Ken (History of Vietnam), Salina Zainol (History of Indonesia), Azhar Mad Aros (History of Japan) and Mohd. Supian Sabtu (Archaeological Studies). From 1997 to 2000, the department sent some of its graduate staff abroad to pursue higher education under the Bumiputera Academic Training Scheme (SLAB) in order to enlist them as distinctly qualified lecturers upon return. Those selected under the programme included Zulkanain Abdul Rahman, Hamidin Hamid, Suffian Mansor, Arbaiyah Mohd. Noor and Azharudin Mohamed Dali. Zulkanain Abdul Rahman, Hamidin Hamid, Suffian Mansor and Azaharudin completed their doctoral studies in Britain. Arba’iyah Mohd. Noor, on the other hand, completed her doctoral studies at the University of Malaya.

Between 2000 and 2004 several the new academic staff were recruited by the department and these were Dr. Joseph M. Fernando (Political History of Malaysia), Dr. Ho Hui Ling (Social History of Malaysia), Dr. Noraini Mohamed Hassan (Social History of Malaysia) and Dr. Hasanudin Daud (History of Indonesia).

The Department of History presently has 17 lecturers, including one professor, four associate professors, seven senior lecturers, two contract senior lecturers, two lecturers, one senior fellow and one visiting professor. The Department also has two Emeritus professors. These highly trained academicians from various specialties have enabled more research to be conducted on regional and world history, apart from Malaysian history. These include studies on the histories of the United States, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Middle East, East Asia and Europe.

The department is recognized as the foremost centre for the study of Malaysian History. Further, over the years it has gained considerable expertise in the teaching of Southeast Asian and Asian history with the recruitment of new lecturers.

Undergraduate Studies: Undergraduates at the department are offered a broad range of introductory courses in the first year including histories of Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States. In the second, third and fourth years students are offered more specialized courses, theme-based courses and country-specific or region-based courses, in order to enable them to acquire a deeper knowledge of Malaysian, Southeast Asian, Asian or global histories. Students are required to fulfill 122 credit hours in order to graduate.

Postgraduate Studies: The Department also offers a coursework-based Master of Arts in Malaysian History and a Master of Arts in Southeast Asian History. Students are required to take five courses (15 credit hours) over two semesters and then complete a dissertation of about 40,000 words (30 credit hours). Postgraduates can choose to either specialize in Malaysian history or Southeast Asian history. Both the MA programs offer a broad range of courses on political, economic, social and cultural histories.

Postgraduates can also pursue a Masters’ degree by research. The Department has a wide range of expertise to supervise students wishing to pursue a Ph.D.

Prospective students are most welcome to make enquiries at the department via email at sas_sejarah@um.edu.my or call 03-79675507.

Welcoming Student

It is a great pleasure to welcome all of you to the Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya. It is the oldest and most distinguished history department in Malaysia. Established in 1959, the foundation was laid by notable historians including John Bastin, Wang Gungwu, D.K. Bassett, C.M. Turnbull, Anthony J.S. Reid, and William R. Roff. The department also had the privilege to host renowned local historians such as Jeyamalar Kathirithamby Wells, Amarjit Kaur and the late Chandran Jeshurun. At present, we are fortunate to be affiliated with eminent historians in the country including Emiriti Professors Tan Sri Dr. Khoo Kay Kim and Dato’ Wira Dr. Mohd Yusuff Hashim.

Here at the department, we are proud to be one of the most renowned centres in the study of Malaysian history. Nevertheless, the department offers a balanced syllabus on global history featuring experts on the various regions of Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, the United States, Western Europe, Russia and Africa. In realizing its vision to become a world-renowned centre in the study of Malaysian history, the Department of History seeks to advance the knowledge of humanities and social sciences for the overall well being of an individual, society, the country, and mankind.

The Department of History is fully committed to objective and impartial study of the past and in exploring the boundaries of the discipline to better represent the past. Our faculty is involved in a number of international collaborative research projects with top historians from prominent universities in Europe, the United States, China and Japan and also serves as reviewers from prestigious international journals. On the local front, our faculty serves as official reviewers for the Ministry of Education, mainly in assessing secondary schools’ history textbooks. These include various consultation services in the field of history to government and private institutions.

Given our past and present expertise of the department, our students enjoy a rich offering of courses and educational programmes including outbound student exchange programmes with universities in the Asian region. Students too, benefit from the established networks of partnership with various organisations within and outside the country such as the Malaysian Historical Society, the Selangor Museum, the Malaysian Research Institute on History and Patriotism (IKSEP), the Department of Malay Custom and Heritage (PADAT), the National Archives of Malaysia, Universitas Hassanudin, Universitas Andalas, Universitias Airlangga, Indonesia, University Brunei Darussalam, Geahon University, Chonnam National University, Krea and Écolefrançaise d' Extrême-Orient (EFEO).

Strongly committed to an integrated and holistic education, we encourage our students to explore and experiment new ideas and areas of history. Right from the start students are exposed to historical thinking skills. Students are taught to appreciate historical evidence and analyse and interpret primary and secondary sources creatively and critically. Our students are well prepared for a wide range of career choices. History graduates from the department have promising career prospects in the fields of public administration and diplomacy (since 1964 until present, graduates from the Department of History have been continuously appointed by the Public Service Department to serve as public administrators and diplomats), banking, corporate and education sectors.

To gather more information on our staff’s expertise, programme’s of study, staff’s expertise and etc, please select the relevant link.

History

The Department of History is one of the oldest academic schools in Malaysia, and a highly respected department within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Malaya. It was established on 15 January 1959 in Kuala Lumpur, three years before the official establishment of the university. Dr. John Bastin of Australia was appointed as the first professor of history in the 1959/60 academic term. Fourother notable academicians from the Singapore campus, namely Dr. Wang Gangwu, Dr. H.A. Lamb, Dr. D.K. Bassett and Dr. C.M. Turnbull, joined the pioneering academic staff of the newly formed department at Kuala Lumpur. Additional academicians recruited by the department in the 1960s were Zainal Abidin Wahid, Dr. R.O. Quested, J.S. Sidhu, Dr. J.A.M. Caldwell, Jeyamalar Kathirithamby (graduated from Singapore), Dr. J.M. Pluvier, B.A.V. Peacock, Anthony Short, J.A. Frodsham, Cheng Siok Hwa, H.A. Lamb, R.W. Winks, A.J.S. Reid, William R. Roff, D. Routledge and R. Dubsky.

Western scholars held greater responsibility in laying the foundation and strength of the department during the early phase of its growth. When they opted to leave the department to pursue their careers abroad, local and younger academic staffs were employed as tutors and lecturers. Chandran Jeshurun was the department’s first tutor appointed in 1962, followed by Goh Yoon Foong and R. Bonney in 1963 – all of whom were subsequently promoted as lecturers.

During the early 1970s, the department received more newcomers whose individual works are now considered outstanding. They were Mohd. Kamlin, Dr. L. Andaya, John Drable, Tjoa Hock Guan, James Ongkili, Heather Sutherland, Dr. Chong Yoke Sin, Tin Hla Thaw (a Burmese), Dahlan Mansoer, Omar Farouk and Azmi Khalid. Also in the list were prominent academicians such as J. Chandran, Chin Yoon Foong, R.R. Bonney, Khoo Kay Kim, Krishen Jit Amar Singh, M. Thambirajah, Lee Kam Hing, Stephen M.Y. Leong, Goh Cheng Teik and Kannan Kutty Nair. In the mid-1970s, Malek Munip, M. Rajendran, K.S. Nathan and Mohd Yusoff Hashim were four local graduates who were each offered the post of lecturer in the Department.

In the 1970s a number of visiting professors served as lecturers for a short stint under the Fulbright scholarship. Some of them were Dr. H.G. Kinloch, Dr. G.S. Maryanov, Dr. D.K. Wyatt and Dr. Craig Lockard. Added to that, in collaboration with the Japan Foundation, the Department received more visiting professors to deliver lectures on the history of Japan, especially regarding the country’s political history and foreign relations. They included Prof. K. Kurimoto, Prof. Ryoji Shimazu, Prof. Yoki Akashi, Prof. K. Iesaka, Prof. K. Toba, Prof. K. Seki, Prof. K. Ori, Prof. Yoki Akashi and Prof. Yuji Suzuki.

Following the retirement of several lecturers by the early 1990s, the Department of History began hiring younger historians of various specializations. Prominent ones were Mohammad Redzuan Othman (History of the Middle East), Shakila Parween Yacob (History of the United States), Ahmad Kamal Arifin Che Rus (Social History of Malaysia), Sivachandalingam Sundara Raja (Economic History of Malaysia), Danny Wong Tze-Ken (Vietnamese History), Salina Zainol (History of Indonesia), Azhar Mad Aros (History of Japan) and Mohd. Suppian Sabtu (Archeological Studies). From 1997 to 2000, the department sent some of its graduate staffs abroad to pursue higher education under the Bumiputera Training Scheme (SLAB) in order to enlist them as distinctly qualified lecturers upon return. Those selected under the programme including Zulkanain Abdul Rahman, Hamidin Hamid, Suffian Mansor, Arbaiyah Mohd. Noor and Azharudin Mohamed Dali. Zulkanain Abdul Rahman, Suffian Mansor and Azaharudin completed their doctoral studies in England. Hamidin Hamid received his doctoral degree from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and was subsequently offered to lecture on the History of Africa. Arbaiyah Mohd. Noor, on the other hand, wound up her doctoral studies during a local study leave scheme.

Some of the new academic staff employed by the department between 2000 and 2004 were Dr. Joseph M. Fernando (Political History of Malaysia), Dr. Ho Hui Ling (Social History of Malaysia), Noraini Mohamed Hassan (Social History of Malaysia) and Hasanudin Daud (History of Indonesia).

As of 2016, the Department of History has 17 lecturers including one professor, four associate professors, seven senior lecturers, two contract senior lecturers and two lecturers. The Department also has two Emeritus professor, one senior fellow and one visiting professor. These well-trained academicians of various specialties enabled more studies to be conducted on world history, other than those only pertaining to Malaysia. These included studies on the histories of the United States, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Middle East, East Asia and Europe.

LeadershipDr. John Bastin served as the first Head of Department (HOD) during the 1959/1960 academic term. Prof. Wang Gang Wu held the post from February 1963 to 1968 and Prof. S. Arasaratnam, from the Department of Indian Studies, took up the post from 1968 -1973. Prof. Khoo Kay Kim was the HOD from 1973-1978, followed by J.M. Chandran who served from 1978-1982. From 1984 to 1986, the Department of History had Dr. Mohd Yusoff Hashim as its HOD. Prof. Jeyamalar Kathirithamby-Wells became the HOD from 1986-1988 and Dr. Mohd. Yusoff Hashim was appointed for the second time from 1988-1990. Subsequently, Krishen Jit Amar Singh succeeded him briefly from 1990-1992. Dr. Mohd Yusoff Hashim resumed the post, for the third time, from 1992-1997. Prof. Abdullah Zakaria Ghazali was the HOD from 1998 - 2000 and Leong Sau Heng assumed the role from 2001-2002. Prof. Abdullah Zakaria Ghazali was reappointed in 2002 and served until 2003. Prof. Datuk Dr. Ramlah became the HOD in 2004. The then Associate Professor Dr. Muhammad Redzuan Othman was chosen as the next HOD, from June 2005 followed by Dr. Zulkanain Abdul Rahman (2006-2007), again the headship was helmed by Prof Abdullah Zakaria (2007-2009). The other HOD in the following years were Dr. Arba’iyah Mohd Noor (2010-2012), Dr.Suffian Mansor (2012-2013); Dr.Azharudin Mohamed Dali (2013-2014) and Associate Professor Dr. Shakila Parween Yacob (2014-2015). Presently the Department is helmed by Associate Professor Dr. Sivachandralingam Sundara Raja. Guided by committed individuals, the Department of History underwent constructive changes over time.

Courses OfferedEver since the 1960s to date, the Department of History has been constantly revising its curriculum with a view to introducing relevant changes and diversity in the study of history in Malaysia. First-year students in the 1960s were required to register for courses like the History of South Asia, History of Modern Europe, History of Modern Russia and History of the United States. Generally, students in the second and third years had their own areas of specialization in history, either as a single major or double majors. It was only from the 1965/1966 session that the History of Malaya/Malaysia was included as a core course in the department’s curriculum. This course was intended to emphasize historical developments relating to nation building. Therefore, the Department reoriented its focus from colonial studies to a Malaysia-based syllabus. However, at this time, most of the courses offered by the department were still in the English language taught by lecturers who were trained in Western countries.

The introduction of the Malay language (Bahasa Malaysia), the National Language, as the medium of instruction in the University of Malaya beginning 1972/73 session, had led to an increase in the number of Malay undergraduates. In the early 1970s, the Department of History implemented the usage of the language in the conduct of lectures, especially in Malaysian history courses.

In the academic years of 1974/75, the department prepared a working paper to enhance its syllabus and proposed that history majoring undergraduates should submit an academic exercise in partial fulfillment of requirements for graduation.

In the academic term of 1979/80, the department made the History of Malaysia, Early History of Asia and Early History of Europe compulsory subjects for undergraduates wishing to major or minor in history. These courses are still being taught as core components today. Students select these courses from two packages – the first contains Malaysia-based courses focusing on civilizational, political and developmental aspects whereas the second package consists of various courses relating to Southeast Asia, Asia, Europe and World History in general. The idea was to provide students with comprehensive exposure and understanding of the History of Malaysia and World History. Furthermore, the department made the History of Malaysia, History of Early Asian Civilization and Introduction to Western Political Institutions as requisite courses in the 1987/88 academic sessions. All courses in the Department of History, including some new courses on the history of Malaysia, were taught in Bahasa Malaysia throughout the 1980s.

There were significant changes in the department’s curriculum, particularly in the academic year of 1990/91, when the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences introduced four-year undergraduate studies (effective till 1997) and made History of Early Asian Civilization and History of Early European Civilization compulsory subjects for first year students. Second year students were required to register for History of Malaysia and History of Early Southeast Asia from the 1st Century until the 15th Century. Finally, third and fourth year students had to choose courses from the History of Malaysia (50%) and World History (50%) packages. This course structure remained effective until the University of Malaya initiated a three-year Semester System in 1997/98, accompanied by to changes in the syllabus. Both majors and minors were required to register courses from the History of Malaysia, History of Early Southeast Asia, History of Europe and History of Asia modules in their first year of study. In their second and third years, the History of Malaysia and World History packages carried equal weightage. Another important development was the current practice for history majors to submit an academic exercise. The accompanying requirement for minors to submit their project paper was dropped in 1999.

Students EnrollmentIn the 1960s, the Department of History enrolled approximately 300-500 undergraduates (from first to third year). The student intake doubled in the following decade as the department accepted more than 1,000 students from 1971-1976. The numbers never dropped below 2,000 for the years between 1970 and 1975. In fact, there were 3,343 students in the 1972/73 academic term. However, the total number of admission dwindled to 599 students in the 1979/80 session.

The department continued to enroll lesser numbers of students during the first half of the 1980s: 1980/81 (471); 1981/82 (448); 1982/83 (464); 1983/84 (515) and 1984/86 (559). From 1985 onwards, the department recorded a relative increase in the number of intakes: 1985/1986 (924); 1986/87 (927); 1987/88 (1,106); 1988/89 (1,221) and; 1989/90 (1,080). The average student enrolment in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences stood at about 1,000- 2,000 in the 1990s, a positive result from faculty reorganization efforts. However, the introduction of the Semester System in 1997 caused the average annual enrollment to decline to about 400-500 students. Generally, the faculty as a whole received lesser students in 2002 (declined from 1,000 to 600) as a result of the government’s policy of distributing 60% of post secondary students into the science stream and 40% into the arts. This development took its toll on student enrollment into the Department of History. Only 200-300 students were enrolled in the period between 2000-2004. This was a relatively commendable number, in comparison with the entire admission in the faculty of only 500 students. It shows that the Department of History was the most favorite of all in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Unlike undergraduate students, the number of postgraduate (M.A. and Ph.D.) intakes showed consistent improvements. The department had 5-6 students in the 1960s and the number increased to 10-20 students in the 1970s. It took in 5 to 10 students in the 1980s, before having 30 to 40 students throughout the 1990s. An increase in the number of postgraduate students was promoted by the introduction, in 1999, of coursework and dissertation options in the fields of Malaysian history and Southeast Asian history. The department had only one Ph.D. candidate in the 1960s but began to admit 10- 15 candidates per year from the 1980s onwards. On the whole, it is indeed a milestone achievement for the Department in being able to produce high-quality graduates, as well as individuals of exemplary doctoral excellence each year.

Research and PublicationsThe department’s main research areas in the 1960s were focused on exploring the History of Malaysia to a significant extent. Undergraduate students were encouraged to read up more on the local history; postgraduate students extended their critical inquiry on the History of Malaysia and History of Imperialism in Asia. Its resolute undertaking of research activities was internationally recognized when the Department of History was chosen to organize the Third International Conference of Historians of Asia (IAHA) in 1968. Both local and foreign historians participated in this Conference, wherein 150 working papers were presented and deliberated upon.

In the 1970s, besides contributing articles for local and foreign journals, a number of them also stressed the importance of history through radio and television, besides actively delivering lectures and talks at governmental and non-governmental institutions. Of greater significance, some of them were selected by the Ministry of Education to prepare exam questions, and to contribute towards school curriculum development.

The members of the department continued producing numerous academic writings in the 1980s for both local and foreign publications. One notable publication was Historia: Essays in Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the Department of History, University of Malaya, edited by Abdullah Zakaria Ghazali, Muhammad Abu Bakar and Amarjit Kaur. In the academic years of 1984/85, the department organized several colloquia and seminars including the ‘Colloquium on Shipping and Trade in the Malay World before 1900”. In the 1990s, many academicians from the Department of History actively published their works, either as books, monographs or articles. They were also involved in presenting their working papers at regional and international conferences. Additionally, all newly promoted professors in 2002 successfully published books and articles, and presented working papers at international conferences. Besides delivering lectures in the Department of History, many of them shared their expertise with the other departments of the faculty. For instance, some of them assisted in teaching the Islamic and Asian Civilizations course (Tamadun Islam dan Tamadun Asia; TITAS) while others played important roles in the departments of Gender Studies, International and Strategic Studies and Centre for Civilisational Dialogue. There were also those who were appointed as official advisors for the Malaysian government and related institutions.

For the first time, in August 2004, the department organized an international conference on the History of Malaysia entitled “Revisiting Malaysian History over the Centuries”. Some 60 working papers, relating to subjects such as early history of the Malay world, Malay states and colonialism, politics of Malaysia, as well as the socio-economic history of Malaysia, were presented. Basically, the conference was part of the department’s ongoing efforts to promote scholarship and networking among the world’s academic community. In July 2005, the department of History organized the Conference of Regional Social History.

Ever since its establishment in 1959, the Department of History has thrived as one of Malaysia’s leading educational institutes, where most of the nation’s great minds in the field of history were groomed.

Vision,Mission,Objective

VisionTo advance the knowledge of history in order to produce skillful individuals for the development of the country.

Mission
To become a world-renowned centre in the study of Malaysian history and seek to advance the knowledge of humanities and social sciences for the overall well being of an individual, society, the country and mankind.

Objective

The Department of History objectives are :

To produce history graduates of excellence, quality and integrity, as well as advance the aim of the national philosophy of education in the field of history.

To produce competitive graduates in the face of current challenges.

To produce graduates with a strong sense of patriotism.

To develop critical and creative thinking.

To enable graduates to link historical knowledge with employment in public and private sectors that requires research and analytical skills.

To enable graduates to draw lessons from historical events that could be useful to address current issues.

Organisational Chart

Latest Highlight : University of Kent Visit Experience

Visiting Academics

Department of History hosts some Visiting Academics from around the worlds. Generally, Visiting Academics have outstanding teaching experience. In the 1970s, a number of Visiting Professors served a stint as lecturers under the Fulbright scholarship. Some of them were Dr. H.G. Kinloch, Dr. G.S. Maryanov, Dr. D. K. Wyatt and Dr. Craig Lockard.

In collaboration with the Japan Foundation, the Department received more Visiting Professors to deliver lectures on the history of Japan, especially regarding the country’s political history and foreign relations. They included Prof. K. Kurimoto, Prof. RyojiShimazu, Prof. Yoki Akashi, Prof. K. Lesaka, Prof. K. Toba, Prof. K. Seki, Prof. K. Ori, Prof. Yoki Akashi and Prof. Yuji Suzuki. Although there were many local graduates appointed as lecturers soon after completing their studies in the early 1970s and early 1980s up to this day, services of Visiting Academics are still needed, especially in carrying out joint research in various historical aspects

Professor Dr. Hara Fujio (1987-1989 & 2012-2013)

Born in 1943, Professor Dr.Hara Fujio obtained his Bachelor of Economics from the University of Tokyo, Japan in 1967 and PhD in Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies from the same University in 1997. He joined the Institute of Developing Economies of Tokyo from 1967-1999 and served as a lecturer at the Nanzan University, Nagoya in 1999. Between 1972-1974 and few months in 2006, he had been a Visiting Researcher at the School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, a Visiting Professor at the History Department, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya (from 1987-1989, 2012-2013) and Faculty of Economics and Administration , University of Malaya from 1992-1994, an Associate Fellow at Institute of Malaysia & International Studies at UKM (1997-1999) and an Academic Advisor at the Chinese Heritage Centre, Han Chiang College Pulau Pinang in 2003. His research interests are in Malaysian Modern History, Chinese in Southeast Asia, Historical Relations between Malaysia and Japan. He has published several books and articles in many journals. Presently he is the Professor at the Department of Asian Studies, Faculty of Foreign Studies, Nanzan University, Nagoya Japan.

Professor Dr. Leonard Andaya (2007, 2014)

Professor Dr. Leornard Y. Andaya is currently a Professor of Southeast Asian History at the Department of History, University of Hawai'i.,Manoa Honolulu, USA. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in History at the Universityof Yale in 1965; Master of Arts (1969) and PhD in Southeast Asian History (1971) at Cornell University. He held research positions in numerous institutions. He was a Visiting Professor at the Department of History, University of Malaya in 2007 and 2014 as well as an external examiner in the same University between 2010-2012. He was also a Senior Fellow at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore in 2007, an Affiliated Fellow at the International Institute for Asian Studies in Leiden in 2008, member of an international committee of academics (U.S., Australia, Netherlands), a Reviewer of the Department of Southeast Asian Studies and Malay Studies at the National University of Singapore and the Department of History, University of Malaya.

Professor Dr. Leornard Y. Andaya is a prolific writer. Throughout his career, he has produced many papers in the form of books, book chapters and journal articles such as The Kingdom of Johor, 1641-1728 (1975), A History of Malaysia (with Barbara W.Andaya -1982 & 2001), Leaves of the Same Tree: Trade and Ethnicity in the Straits of Melaka (2008) and several articles such as “Ethnicity in Precolonial and Colonial Southeast Asia” (2013) in Norman G. Owen (ed), Routledge Handbook of SoutheastAsian History, “The Gujarati Legacy in Southeast Asia’ in LotikaVaradarajan (ed). Gujarat and the Sea (2011), “Comments on Victor Lieberman’s Strange Parallels” in The Journal Asian of Studies 70, 4 (November 2011), “The Bujang Valley in the Early History of the “Sea of Malaya” in Stephen Chia and Barbara Watson Andaya (eds). Bujang Valley and Early Civilisations on Southeast Asia, ”The ‘Informal Portuguese Empire’ and the Topasses in the Solor Archipelago and Timor in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries” in Journal of Southeast Asian Studies 41, 3 (October 2010), “Diaspora Bugis, Identitas dan Islam di Negeri Malaya” in Diaspora Bugis di Alam Melayu, 2010 etc. He also participated in various international and national seminars and given lectures at various institutes

Professor Dr. Barbara Watson Andaya (1973, 2014)

Professor Dr. Barbara Watson Andaya was born in 1943 in Sydney, Australia. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts and Diploma of Education from Sydney University (1962-1963) with majors in English and Asian History. In 1969, she obtained her Master of Arts from the University of Hawai’i with a major in Southeast Asian history and minors in Indian history and Modern European history and her PhD at Cornell University in Southeast Asian History. Now she is a Professor at the Asian Studies Program and Director Center for Southeast Asian Studies, University of Hawai’i at Manoa Honolulu.

She served as a Tutor at the Department of History, University of Malaya in 1973 and a Visiting Professor at the same University in 2014, a Research Fellow at the Department of Pacific and Southeast Asian History, Australian National University (1997-1979), Lecturer at the Department of History, University of Auckland (1992-1993), a Raffles Professor of History at the National University of Singapore (2007), a Visiting Professor at Science University of Malaysia (2010) and a Research Fellow at KoninklijkInstituut, Netherlands (2013).

Professor Dr. Barbara Watson Andaya has produced many publications such as A History of Early Modern Southeast Asia, 1400-1830 (with Leonard Y. Andaya, 2014), The Flaming Womb: Repositioning Women in Southeast Asian History (2006), A History of Malaysia (with Leonard Y. Andaya -1982 & 2001), Perak, the Abode of Grace: A Study of an Eighteenth Century Malay State (1979), “Christianity, Religion and Identity in a Muslim Environment: Other Mary, Queen of Larantuka, Indonesia” in Attending to Early Modern Women: Conflict, Concord (2013), “Christianity in Modern Southeast Asia”, in Routledge Handbook to Southeast Asia, ed. Norman Owen. Barbara Watson Andaya (2014), “Gates, Elephants, Cannon and Drums: Symbols and Sounds in the Creation of a Patani Identity” in The Ghosts of the Past in Southern Thailand: Essays on the History and Historiography of Patani, (2013), (with Leonard Y. Andaya), “Interracial Marriages and the Overseas Family: The Case of the Topas of Timor”, in Anthony Reid and the Study of the Sotheast Asian Past, (2012), “Contextualizing the Global: Marketing Pentecostalism in Malaysia and Indonesia” in Hirochika Nakamaki, ed. Globalizing Asian Religions (2011), “Distant Drums and Thunderous Cannon: Affirming Identity and Sounding Authority in Traditional Malay Society.” International Journal of Asian and Pacific Studies 7, 2, July 2011 and many more.

Associate Professor Dr. Po Dharma (2010-2012)

Associate Professor Dr. Po Dharma completed his Bachelor of Arts in Phnom-Penh, Cambodia in 1969, Master of Arts in 1978 and Ph.D in 1986 at the University of Sorbonne Paris. He served as an army officer in Cambodia in 1969 and became a research assistant at the EcoleFrancaised” Extreme-Orient (EFEO) in 1972. In 1987 he became the head of the EFEO Center in Kuala Lumpur and a Lecturer in EHESS, Paris from 1994-1996. He was also an Associate Professor at the EFEO in 2003 and a lecturer at INALCO Paris from 2003 to 2009. Then he served as a Visiting Professor in the Department of History of University of Malaya from 2010 to 2012.

Dr. Maung Zarni was born in 1963. He obtained his Bachelor of Science (majoring in Chemistry) from the University of Mandalay, Myanmar in 1984; Master of Arts from the University of California at Davis, USA in 1991 and Ph.D at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, USA in 1998. He was a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya from 2013 to 2014, a Visiting Fellow at the Civil Society and Human Security Research Unit, Department of International Development, London School of Economics UK in 2011 and a Research Collaborator at Harvard Global Equity Initiative, Harvard University USA in 2013.

Dr. Zarnihas produced many journal articles, book chapters and newspaper articles and has presented papers at national and international levels. Among his articles are “Reforms in Myanmar: Hype and realities”, Commentary, Asian Journal of Public Affairs, Vol. 5 No.2, Feb. 2013, A “Three Insecurities Perspective” for the Changing Myanmar, Kyoto Review of Southeast Asian Studies, Spring 2013, “ Myanmar’s Drive For Peace” , International New York Times, No. 3, 2013, “Aung San SuuKyi and the World of Islamophobia”, al-Jazeera English, No. 3, 2013, “Violence in the Name of Buddhism: How the marriage of Burma’s Popular Islamophobia and the neo-Fascist State led to the Rohingya Genocide” in DarwisKudori (ed.), Religious Diversity in a Global Society (2013) and many more.

Dr. Suleiman RouslanDjamoukhanov (2012-2016)

Born in Kirgizstan in 1955, Dr. Suleiman Rouslan obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Roman and German Philology from Leo Tolstoy University Grozny Chechen,Republic of USSR in 1980, M.A in Iberian-Caucasian Language and History from the Chechen Republic State University, Grozny (1992) and Ph.D in Ancient Caucasian and Middle East History from Chechen Republic Ichkeria (ChRI) Islamic State University. Between 1980-1988, he served as a teacher of the English and Russian language, USSR History in Secondary and High School at Shatoy and Grozny Districts. Then he became a lecturer in Caucasian Languages and History at the Department of the Chechen Philology, Chechen Republic State University from 1990 to 1994. At the same time he was a part time researcher of the Floklore Centre, Ministry of Culture, ChRI before coming to Malaysia in 1996. From 2001 to 2010, Dr. Suleiman was appointed as a Director of the Crisis and Peace Research Centre under the Global Peace Mission Malaysia (GPM) in Kuala Lumpur. Then he served as a Visiting Research Fellow at the Department of History, University of Malaya from 2012. He passed away on 28 December 2015 at the University of Malaya Hospital.

Among his articles are “AraboyazichnieEpitafti Yugo-VostochnoChechni-Arabic Epitaphs of the South-East Chechnya”, Grozny, 1990, “The Chechenistan”, Islamic Encyclopedia of Turkey Republic (in Turkish language), Istanbul (1993), “Measurement and Certification of the Medieval Towers in the Canyons of the Chanty and Sharo-Argun Rivers”, Grozny (1993) and many more.

In the first place, history offers a storehouse of information about how people and societies behave. Understanding the operations of people and societies is difficult, though a number of disciplines make the attempt. An exclusive reliance on current data would needlessly handicap our efforts. How can we evaluate war if the nation is at peace—unless we use historical materials? How can we understand genius, the influence of technological innovation, or the role that beliefs play in shaping family life, if we don't use what we know about experiences in the past? Some social scientists attempt to formulate laws or theories about human behavior. But even these recourses depend on historical information, except for in limited, often artificial cases in which experiments can be devised to determine how people act. Major aspects of a society's operation, like mass elections, missionary activities, or military alliances, cannot be set up as precise experiments. Consequently, history must serve, however imperfectly, as our laboratory, and data from the past must serve as our most vital evidence in the unavoidable quest to figure out why our complex species behaves as it does in societal settings. This, fundamentally, is why we cannot stay away from history: it offers the only extensive evidential base for the contemplation and analysis of how societies function, and people need to have some sense of how societies function simply to run their own lives. History Helps Us Understand Change and How the Society We Live in Came to Be The second reason history is inescapable as a subject of serious study follows closely on the first. The past causes the present, and so the future. Any time we try to know why something happened—whether a shift in political party dominance in the American Congress, a major change in the teenage suicide rate, or a war in the Balkans or the Middle East—we have to look for factors that took shape earlier. Sometimes fairly recent history will suffice to explain a major development, but often we need to look further back to identify the causes of change. Only through studying history can we grasp how things change; only through history can we begin to comprehend the factors that cause change; and only through history can we understand what elements of an institution or a society persist despite change.

The Importance of History in Our Own Lives

These two fundamental reasons for studying history underlie more specific and quite diverse uses of history in our own lives. History well told is beautiful. Many of the historians who most appeal to the general reading public know the importance of dramatic and skillful writing—as well as of accuracy. Biography and military history appeal in part because of the tales they contain. History as art and entertainment serves a real purpose, on aesthetic grounds but also on the level of human understanding. Stories well done are stories that reveal how people and societies have actually functioned, and they prompt thoughts about the human experience in other times and places. The same aesthetic and humanistic goals inspire people to immerse themselves in efforts to reconstruct quite remote pasts, far removed from immediate, present-day utility. Exploring what historians sometimes call the "pastness of the past"—the ways people in distant ages constructed their lives—involves a sense of beauty and excitement, and ultimately another perspective on human life and society.

History Contributes to Moral Understanding

History also provides a terrain for moral contemplation. Studying the stories of individuals and situations in the past allows a student of history to test his or her own moral sense, to hone it against some of the real complexities individuals have faced in difficult settings. People who have weathered adversity not just in some work of fiction, but in real, historical circumstances can provide inspiration. "History teaching by example" is one phrase that describes this use of a study of the past—a study not only of certifiable heroes, the great men and women of history who successfully worked through moral dilemmas, but also of more ordinary people who provide lessons in courage, diligence, or constructive protest.

History Provides Identity

History also helps provide identity, and this is unquestionably one of the reasons all modern nations encourage its teaching in some form. Historical data include evidence about how families, groups, institutions and whole countries were formed and about how they have evolved while retaining cohesion. For many Americans, studying the history of one's own family is the most obvious use of history, for it provides facts about genealogy and (at a slightly more complex level) a basis for understanding how the family has interacted with larger historical change. Family identity is established and confirmed. Many institutions, businesses, communities, and social units, such as ethnic groups in the United States, use history for similar identity purposes. Merely defining the group in the present pales against the possibility of forming an identity based on a rich past. And of course nations use identity history as well—and sometimes abuse it. Histories that tell the national story, emphasizing distinctive features of the national experience, are meant to drive home an understanding of national values and a commitment to national loyalty.

Studying History Is Essential for Good Citizenship

A study of history is essential for good citizenship. This is the most common justification for the place of history in school curricula. Sometimes advocates of citizenship history hope merely to promote national identity and loyalty through a history spiced by vivid stories and lessons in individual success and morality. But the importance of history for citizenship goes beyond this narrow goal and can even challenge it at some points.

History that lays the foundation for genuine citizenship returns, in one sense, to the essential uses of the study of the past. History provides data about the emergence of national institutions, problems, and values—it's the only significant storehouse of such data available. It offers evidence also about how nations have interacted with other societies, providing international and comparative perspectives essential for responsible citizenship. Further, studying history helps us understand how recent, current, and prospective changes that affect the lives of citizens are emerging or may emerge and what causes are involved. More important, studying history encourages habits of mind that are vital for responsible public behavior, whether as a national or community leader, an informed voter, a petitioner, or a simple observer.

What Skills Does a Student of History Develop?

What does a well-trained student of history, schooled to work on past materials and on case studies in social change, learn how to do? The list is manageable, but it contains several overlapping categories.

The Ability to Assess Evidence. The study of history builds experience in dealing with and assessing various kinds of evidence—the sorts of evidence historians use in shaping the most accurate pictures of the past that they can. Learning how to interpret the statements of past political leaders—one kind of evidence—helps form the capacity to distinguish between the objective and the self-serving among statements made by present-day political leaders. Learning how to combine different kinds of evidence—public statements, private records, numerical data, visual materials—develops the ability to make coherent arguments based on a variety of data. This skill can also be applied to information encountered in everyday life.

The Ability to Assess Conflicting Interpretations. Learning history means gaining some skill in sorting through diverse, often conflicting interpretations. Understanding how societies work—the central goal of historical study—is inherently imprecise, and the same certainly holds true for understanding what is going on in the present day. Learning how to identify and evaluate conflicting interpretations is an essential citizenship skill for which history, as an often-contested laboratory of human experience, provides training. This is one area in which the full benefits of historical study sometimes clash with the narrower uses of the past to construct identity. Experience in examining past situations provides a constructively critical sense that can be applied to partisan claims about the glories of national or group identity. The study of history in no sense undermines loyalty or commitment, but it does teach the need for assessing arguments, and it provides opportunities to engage in debate and achieve perspective.

Experience in Assessing Past Examples of Change. Experience in assessing past examples of change is vital to understanding change in society today—it's an essential skill in what we are regularly told is our "ever-changing world." Analysis of change means developing some capacity for determining the magnitude and significance of change, for some changes are more fundamental than others. Comparing particular changes to relevant examples from the past helps students of history develop this capacity. The ability to identify the continuities that always accompany even the most dramatic changes also comes from studying history, as does the skill to determine probable causes of change. Learning history helps one figure out, for example, if one main factor—such as a technological innovation or some deliberate new policy—accounts for a change or whether, as is more commonly the case, a number of factors combine to generate the actual change that occurs.

Historical study, in sum, is crucial to the promotion of that elusive creature, the well-informed citizen. It provides basic factual information about the background of our political institutions and about the values and problems that affect our social well-being. It also contributes to our capacity to use evidence, assess interpretations, and analyze change and continuities. No one can ever quite deal with the present as the historian deals with the past—we lack the perspective for this feat; but we can move in this direction by applying historical habits of mind, and we will function as better citizens in the process.

History Is Useful in the World of Work

History is useful for work. Its study helps create good businesspeople, professionals, and political leaders. The number of explicit professional jobs for historians is considerable, but most people who study history do not become professional historians. Professional historians teach at various levels, work in museums and media centers, do historical research for businesses or public agencies, or participate in the growing number of historical consultancies. These categories are important—indeed vital—to keep the basic enterprise of history going, but most people who study history use their training for broader professional purposes. Students of history find their experience directly relevant to jobs in a variety of careers as well as to further study in fields like law and public administration. Employers often deliberately seek students with the kinds of capacities historical study promotes. The reasons are not hard to identify: students of history acquire, by studying different phases of the past and different societies in the past, a broad perspective that gives them the range and flexibility required in many work situations. They develop research skills, the ability to find and evaluate sources of information, and the means to identify and evaluate diverse interpretations. Work in history also improves basic writing and speaking skills and is directly relevant to many of the analytical requirements in the public and private sectors, where the capacity to identify, assess, and explain trends is essential. Historical study is unquestionably an asset for a variety of work and professional situations, even though it does not, for most students, lead as directly to a particular job slot, as do some technical fields. But history particularly prepares students for the long haul in their careers, its qualities helping adaptation and advancement beyond entry-level employment. There is no denying that in our society many people who are drawn to historical study worry about relevance. In our changing economy, there is concern about job futures in most fields. Historical training is not, however, an indulgence; it applies directly to many careers and can clearly help us in our working lives.

Why study history? The answer is because we virtually must, to gain access to the laboratory of human experience. When we study it reasonably well, and so acquire some usable habits of mind, as well as some basic data about the forces that affect our own lives, we emerge with relevant skills and an enhanced capacity for informed citizenship, critical thinking, and simple awareness. The uses of history are varied. Studying history can help us develop some literally "salable" skills, but its study must not be pinned down to the narrowest utilitarianism. Some history—that confined to personal recollections about changes and continuities in the immediate environment—is essential to function beyond childhood. Some history depends on personal taste, where one finds beauty, the joy of discovery, or intellectual challenge. Between the inescapable minimum and the pleasure of deep commitment comes the history that, through cumulative skill in interpreting the unfolding human record, provides a real grasp of how the world works.

Reasons to Study History

If you are hungry for finding out about the past, History may be the subject for you. If you still need some persuading, why not look at this list of reasons to study History:

1. Transferable skills

Studying History provides a student with skills which are not confined to the study of the past. Skills of analysis are invaluable in many jobs, and the ability to analyse and then prioritise information is vital to decision making. This not only provides a skills set for a student but it also keeps career options open.

2. History is relevant

There is a stigma attached to History that it is based entirely in the distant past, but this does not account for the huge amount of modern history which is studied in such depth. In order to make sense of current affairs it is important to study the past, as everything which is happening around us has been influenced by, and is a direct result of, that which preceeded it. In this way, the study of History is explicitly relevant to us.

A degree in History endorses independence in young people. The typically few contact hours offered by a History degree enable students to lead their own inquiries into the past, while still offering the reassurance of a lecturer who can support and help develop potential theories or lines of thought. Knowledge is not just handed over at degree level; it requires hard work, and in a subject dominated by reading, students will develop self-sufficiency and become less dependent pupils.

6. Studying History provides cultural awareness

By looking at the history of different cultures, a History student can build up a better understanding of why certain peoples act the way they do. Looking at the history of the USA we can see why race tensions continued on past the abolition of slavery and arguably remain today. In reading the history of India we can see why the Caste system still remains in the subcontinent. By studying at the various tributaries of humanity, a broad cultural awareness is yours for the taking.

7. A History degree allows us to learn from the past

If you are to look at human history there are particular patterns which tend to repeat themselves. Whether it is the role of charismatic dictators like Caesar through to Hitler, or the significance of Religion in human conflict, humans have an astounding habit of ignoring the obvious contributing factors which can lead to war and oppression. It is then the job of the Historian to identify where we have been going wrong, comment on it, and attempt to avoid it in the future.

Professor Emiritus

Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Dr.Khoo Kay Kim

Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Dr. Khoo Kay Kim was born on 28 March 1937 in Kampar Perak. He received his Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Malaya, Singapore in 1959. There he served as a teacher for about four years before returning to University of Malaya (Kuala Lumpur) as a Tutor in 1964. He has the privilege to be trained under K.G. Tregonning who held the Raffles Chair of History in Singapore and then Prof. Wang Gungwu.

Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim was appointed as a lecturer at the Department of History, University of Malaya after completing his masters in 1967. He was the first to conduct history lectures in the Malay language. The History Department, then under Prof. Wang Gungwu, played a pioneering role in using the Malay language as a medium of instruction, even before the founding of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 1970. After obtaining his Doctoral Degree in 1974, he was promoted to the post of Associate Professor and was offered the new Chair of Malaysian History from 1975 until 1992.

Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim is a prolific writer and has published extensively (books, book chapters and journal articles) and has presented papers at national and international levels. In terms of administration at the University of Malaya, he served as the Head of the Department of History, University of Malaya (1973-1974), (1982-1984) and as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences from 1984 to 1986. He was also the Director of the Sports Centre of the University of Malaya from 1994-1996. Throughout his career, he has supervised numerous M.A and Ph.D theses and acted as external examiner as well as academic assessor to various local and foreign universities including Monash University, Adelaide University, National University of Singapore, University Sains Malaysia, University of Brunei etc.

Emeritus Professor Datuk Wira Dr. Mohd Yusoff bin Haji Hashim

Emeritus Professor Datuk Wira Dr. Mohd Yusoff bin Haji Hashim was born in Melaka on March 16, 1945. He has served as a teacher from 1966 until 1969. He then pursued his studies in history at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. After obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree in 1972, he served as a Tutor in the Department of History from 1973 to 1974. Following that, he received his master’s degree in 1975 and served as an academic staff in the department from 1975 until 1982. His interest in the field of historiography led him to conduct further study at the University of Leiden, Holland in 1980 and was awarded a fellowship in the same year.

After completing his PhD in 1984 in Malay Historiography at the University of Malaya, Datuk Wira Dr. Mohd Yusoff was appointed as an Associate Professor from 1983 to 1990 and Professor from 1990 until August 2000. After retiring, he served as the Vice-Chancellor (or the Chief Executive) of Kolej Universiti Islam Melaka (KUIM). He was appointed to an Emeritus Professorship by the University of Malaya in 2005.

Emeritus Professor Datuk Wira Dr. Mohd Yusoff bin Haji Hashim has produced many publications in the form of books, book chapters and journal articles and has presented papers at national and international levels. He has supervised numerous M.A and Ph.D thesis and acted as external examiner as well as academic assessor to various institutions. In terms of administration at the University of Malaya, he served as the Head of the Department of History, University of Malaya from 1984 to 2000. His services and contributions are well recognized both nationally and internationally.

Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr. Abdullah Zakaria Ghazali

Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr. Abdullah Zakaria Ghazali was born on 13 November 1951 in Besut, Terengganu. In 1968, he completed his Form 6 education at the Kolej Islam Malaya. He then pursued his undergraduate studies in history at the University of Malaya and received his bachelor’s degree with distinction in 1973. Following that, Professor Datuk Dr. Abdullah Zakaria Ghazali went to pursue his master’s research in Malaysian history in 1974, specializing in the political history of Terengganu in the years 1921 to 1928. He has the distinction of being one of the very candidates ever to be able to complete a master’s research within a minimum period of two years. His ardent interest in the history of Malay sultanates encouraged him to undertake a doctoral research on the political dispute between the families of the Sultan and the Temenggung in Johore from 1825 to 1885, which he completed in the midst of a busy career.

Professor Datuk Dr. Abdullah Zakaria Ghazali was appointed as a part-time tutor at the Department of History in 1973, followed by as a contract tutor from 1974 to 1976, and a full-time tutor from 1976 to 1977. His tenure as a lecturer began in 1977, and in 1985 was promoted to the position of associate professor. He served as a full professor from 1998 until his retirement in 2007. Although having retired, he continued to lend his academic service until 2010 as a contract professor and the first with a Special Grade B. He then served as a contract professor until 2014, and as a research fellow until 2016 when he is now honored with an emeritus professorship by the University of Malaya.

He has numerous publications to his credit, mainly in the form of books, book chapters and journal articles, and has also presented papers at both national and international levels. Till date, he has supervised 16 masters and 23 PhD theses. In recognition of his academic credibility, he has been invited to act as external thesis examiner by the Charles Darwin University (Australia), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) – as well as external assessor by various local universities. Professor Datuk Dr. Abdullah Zakaria is undoubtedly one of the most prolific historians in Malaysia and perhaps the most important authority in his research field.

Industrial Training

AEEA3190 INDUSTRIAL TRAINING / LATIHAN INDUSTRI

Introduction

In today’s world, merely having a degree is no guarantee of employment, nor is it a reliable indicator of the individual’s competence in a job. Rather, graduates must have current and relevant knowledge, practical experience, soft skills and a positive attitude to allow them to be competitive in the job market. They must possess the necessary knowledge and skills before they go out into the working world. In line with this, the Industrial Training component of the undergraduate program constitutes a vital component in the drive to strengthen the key competencies required to improve the graduates’ ability to work.

In conclusion every semester’s results of industrial training proved to be very positive since most of the students gave positive feedback on their industrial training experience. Industrial training is an integral part of a student’s development..

Definition of Industrial Training

Industrial Training refers to a programme which aims to provide supervised practical training within a specified time frame. This training can be carried out either in government organizations or in the private sector, and includes on the job training, legal attachments, teaching practice, research-based training and clinicals.

Aims

The main aim of the Industrial Training programme is to produce graduates who are ready to face the world of work. The programme also aims to produce knowledgeable, skilled and experienced graduates who are able to apply knowledge acquired at university in a work environment. The Industrial Training programme provides opportunities for exposure to the working world, which will make graduates more aware of the expectations that industry has of them. Placing University of Malaya (UM) students in industry is also part of on-going effort to close the gap between academia and industry as feedback received from employers who are part of the programme is used to improve the existing curriculum in line with the needs of industry.

Objectives

The Industrial Training programme has the following objectives:

To give students the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired on campus in a real-life work situation.

To provide students with opportunities for practical, hands-on learning from practitioners in the students’ areas of specialization.

To expose students to a work environment, common practices, employment opportunities and work ethics in their relevant field.

To enhance the employability skills of the students.

To provide opportunities for students to be offered jobs in the organizations in which they undergo their Industrial Training.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, students are expected to be able to:

Improve their knowledge and skills relevant to their areas of specialization

Relate the knowledge and skills acquired at the workplace to their studies

Compete in the job market

Synopsis of Course Contents

The course intends to expose the students to the industry as means of preparing them for the working world. Students will receive practical experience from either the public or private sectors. The industrial experience is expected to motivate the students, give them opportunities to translate their theoretical knowledge into practice, and enhance their professionalism and employability potential. Continuous assessment will be given based on the students’ performance at their respective training location.

Scope of Industrial Training

Specific jobs and duties for trainees must be decided on by the CoR and the organization. It is expected that students will be given duties related to their fields of study, so as to ensure that they have the opportunity to use the knowledge and skills they have acquired in that field, and as to expose them to normal work practices in that field. Students must be supervised by the organization, to ensure that they receive relevant guidance, as well as constructive feedback about their progress during their period of Industrial Training.

Industrial Training can either be (a) a compulsory or (b) an optional component of the degree programme depending on the requirements of the CoR. If it is compulsory, students must complete the Industrial Training component in order to graduate. The number of credit hours assigned to Industrial Training also differs according to the CoR, varying from 2 to 12 credit hours. International students should check their department’s policies on carrying out their placements in their home countries.

LIST OF INDUSTRIAL TRAINING PLACEMENT (DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY)

Special Semester, 2014/2015 Session (4 July – 28 August 2015)

No.

Organisation

No. of Students

1

Arkib Negara Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur

7

2

Arkib Negara Malaysia, Cawangan Johor

2

3

Arkib Negara Malaysia, Cawangan Kedah/ Perlis

1

4

Arkib Negara Malaysia, Cawangan Kelantan

2

5

Arkib Negara Malaysia, Cawangan Terengganu

2

6

Arkib Negara Malaysia, Cawangan Pahang

2

7

Arkib Negara Malaysia, Cawangan Sarawak

1

8

Lembaga Muzium Negeri Terengganu

2

9

PerbadananAdatMelayu&WarisanNegeri Selangor (PADAT)

27

10

Perbadanan Kota Buku, Kuala Lumpur

2

11

Muzium Seni Asia, Universiti Malaya

5

12

Learning Port Sdn. Bhd., Kuala Lumpur

2

TOTAL

55

Special Semester, 2013/2014 Session (4 July – 28 August 2014)

No.

Organisation

No. of Students

1

Arkib Negara Malaysia, Cawangan Kedah/ Perlis

1

2

Arkib Negara Malaysia, CawanganPulau Pinang

2

3

Arkib Negara Malaysia, Cawangan Sabah

1

4

Lembaga Muzium Negeri Terengganu

2

5

Muzium Seni Asia, Universiti Malaya

2

6

Arkib Negara Malaysia, Cawangan Johor

2

7

Arkib Negara Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur

7

8

Perbadanan Adat Melayu & Warisan Negeri Selangor (PADAT)

34

TOTAL

51

Community Engagements

GXEX1417 / GIG1005 - COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT / JALINAN MASYARAKAT

Introduction

Although there are various definitions and interpretations of community engagement; at the University of Malaya, community engagement means “active and meaningful engagement within and outside the university across local, national and international levels with the aim of exchanging knowledge and enabling learning for the benefit of society”.

At the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya a specific course with the code GXEX1417 Community Engagement / Jalinan Masyarakat is made a compulsory for all undergraduates.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, students are expected to :

Demonstrate the important of community engagement.

Develop the ability to work in teams and with the community.

Demonstrate good communication skills with the community.

Synopsis of Course Contents

This course intends to expose the students to the social services and the role of volunteers. Students also need to design a community service program and they will be placed in locations associated with the program. Students need to write and present reports based on experiences with local communities.

Community Engagement Programme Organised by the students of History Department

The influence of the Commonwealth constitutions and precedents on the drafting of the Malayan federal constitution, 1956-1957, Principal Investigator(PI), 2012-2013, Geran Penyelidikan Universiti Malaya (UMRG),National

The influence of the Commonwealth constitutions and precedents on the drafting of the Malayan Federal constitution, 1956-1957, Co-Investigator, 2012-2014, Geran Penyelidikan Universiti Malaya (UMRG),National

Flagship Research Project: Introducing Digital Humanities in Malaysia: Digitalisation of the Form Five History Syllabus, Co-Investigator, 2012-2012, Geran Penyelidikan Universiti Malaya (UMRG), National

Sivachandralingam Sundara Raja, "The London Dawn Raid: Liberated the Assets, Not the People, not the Schools", Tamil Education Journal of Tamil Foundation Malaysia, No. 1-3, 2015.

5.

Sivachandralingam Sundara Raja,Chong Wu Ling & Ahmad Kamal Ariffin, “The Old and New Malaya of Colonial Days and Its Continuity into Modern Day Malaysia”, Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, Vol. 6, No. 2, 2015, pp. 161-171.

Danny Wong Tze Ken, “The Hakka in Sabah before World War Two: Their Adaptation to New Environment, Challenges and the Forging of New Identity”, in Chang Wei-an (ed.), The Hakka in Southeast Asia and Their Environment, Tao Yuan: National Central University Press and Taipei: Yuan Liu Publisher, 2013, pp. 235-260.

Danny Wong Tze Ken, “Views from the Other Side: The Early Cold War in Malaysia from the Memoirs and Writings of Former MCP Members”, in Albert Lau (ed.), Southeast Asia and the Cold War, London: Routledge, 2012, pp. 85-101.

Shakila Yacob, “Review of Joe Jackson. The Thief at the End of the World: Rubber, Power, and the Seeds of Empire. New York: Penguin Books, 2008”, Enterprise and Society, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2010, pp. 409-411.

Joseph M. Fernando, Constitutionalism and the politics of constitution-making in Malaya, 1956-57, in H. Kumarasingham (ed), Constitution Making in Asia: Decolonisation and State-Building in the Aftermath of the British Empire, London: Routledge, 2016, pp. 137-153 (Scopus-cited).

Mardiana Nordin & State Protocol Office, "Head of State of Melaka since Independence", in The Encyclopedia of Malaysia: The Rulers of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur: Editions Didier Millet (EDM), 2011, pp. 128-129.

Mohammad Redzuan Othman & Abu Hanifah Haris, "The Role of Egyptian Influences on the Religious Dynamics and the Idea of Progress of Malaya's Kaum Muda (Young Faction) before the Second World War", British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 42, No. 4, 2015, pp. 465-480.

Professor Emeritus

Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Dr. Khoo Kay Kim

Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Dr. Khoo Kay Kim was born on 28 March 1937 in Kampar Perak. He received his Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Malaya, Singapore in 1959. There he served as a teacher for about four years before returning to University of Malaya (Kuala Lumpur) as a Tutor in 1964. He has the privilege to be trained under K.G. Tregonning who held the Raffles Chair of History in Singapore and then Prof. Wang Gungwu.

Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim was appointed as a lecturer at the Department of History, University of Malaya after completing his masters in 1967. He was the first to conduct history lectures in the Malay language. The History Department, then under Prof. Wang Gungwu, played a pioneering role in using the Malay language as a medium of instruction, even before the founding of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 1970. After obtaining his Doctoral Degree in 1974, he was promoted to the post of Associate Professor and was offered the new Chair of Malaysian History from 1975 until 1992.

Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim is a prolific writer and has published extensively (books, book chapters and journal articles) and has presented papers at national and international levels. In terms of administration at the University of Malaya, he served as the Head of the Department of History, University of Malaya (1973-1974), (1982-1984) and as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences from 1984 to 1986. He was also the Director of the Sports Centre of the University of Malaya from 1994-1996. Throughout his career, he has supervised numerous M.A and Ph.D theses and acted as external examiner as well as academic assessor to various local and foreign universities including Monash University, Adelaide University, National University of Singapore, University Sains Malaysia, University of Brunei etc.

Emeritus Professor Datuk Wira Dr. Mohd Yusoff bin Haji Hashim

Emeritus Professor Datuk Wira Dr. Mohd Yusoff bin Haji Hashim was born in Melaka on March 16, 1945. He has served as a teacher from 1966 until 1969. He then pursued his studies in history at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. After obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree in 1972, he served as a Tutor in the Department of History from 1973 to 1974. Following that, he received his master’s degree in 1975 and served as an academic staff in the department from 1975 until 1982. His interest in the field of historiography led him to conduct further study at the University of Leiden, Holland in 1980 and was awarded a fellowship in the same year.

After completing his PhD in 1984 in Malay Historiography at the University of Malaya, Datuk Wira Dr. Mohd Yusoff was appointed as an Associate Professor from 1983 to 1990 and Professor from 1990 until August 2000. After retiring, he served as the Vice-Chancellor (or the Chief Executive) of Kolej Universiti Islam Melaka (KUIM). He was appointed to an Emeritus Professorship by the University of Malaya in 2005.

After completing his PhD in 1984 in Malay Historiography at the University of Malaya, Datuk Wira Dr. Mohd Yusoff was appointed as an Associate Professor from 1983 to 1990 and Professor from 1990 until August 2000. After retiring, he served as the Vice-Chancellor (or the Chief Executive) of Kolej Universiti Islam Melaka (KUIM). He was appointed to an Emeritus Professorship by the University of Malaya in 2005.

Emeritus Professor Datuk Wira Dr. Mohd Yusoff bin Haji Hashim has produced many publications in the form of books, book chapters and journal articles and has presented papers at national and international levels. He has supervised numerous M.A and Ph.D thesis and acted as external examiner as well as academic assessor to various institutions. In terms of administration at the University of Malaya, he served as the Head of the Department of History, University of Malaya from 1984 to 2000. His services and contributions are well recognized both nationally and internationally.

Research Student

International Students:

Why we chose to study at the Department of History, University of Malaya

The Department of History at the University of Malaya has a number of international students pursuing doctoral and Masters’ degrees. Many of them are attracted to the strong academic expertise at the Department of History and the focus on Malaysian and Southeast Asian history and the University of Malaya’s international reputation, being ranked among the top 200 universities in the world,. The wide collection of books, periodicals and primary sources on Malaysia and Southeast Asia in the library and easy access to e-journals; the warm and student-friendly environment for learning, and the added appeal of studying in a Southeast Asian country were also cited as reasons for enrolling in the department. The following are some personal experiences of international students at the Department of History.

Ito Mitsuomi from Japan is a Ph.D candidate at the Department of History:

‘There are three reasons why I chose the Department of History at the University of Malaya. First, the University of Malaya has a great reputation not only in Southeast Asia but also in the world, being ranked in the top 200 in the world. This university is one of the oldest universities in the region as well. Many prominent scholars from around the world visit for seminars and sometimes teach in classes. Students are able to directly discuss, ask questions and learn from them. For me, discussions with Dr. Nicholas Tarling from the University of Auckland and Dr. Leonard Andaya from the University of Hawaii inspired me in the preparation of my dissertation. This is one of the most valuable experiences for students at the University of Malaya.

‘The second reason why I chose the university was the environment in the university. As my Ph.D research is on the history of Southeast Asia, I believed that living and studying in Malaysia, which is located in the centre of Southeast Asia, would be the best way to research this region. What is more, the huge campus is very nature-friendly with lots of greens and which I think is the best environment to produce ideas. The relatively wide range of collections on history in the libraries also attracted me.

‘Lastly, communication in English was of a great appeal to me to enroll in this university. With the exception of Singapore, universities in other Southeast Asian countries mainly use local languages. However, most professors, academic staff and students in University of Malaya are able to speak English. The choice of languages for the thesis/dissertation, i.e. Malay or English, is one of the attractive factors in choosing this university, especially for international students.’

Albana Reci from Albania is a Ph.D candidate at the Department of History:

‘The University emphasizes the importance of both theory and practice in academic study. From my experience in the Department of History, its approach is interdisciplinary and this expands the subject of history by incorporating it with social and scientific studies as well as theoretical-methodological aspect of research.

‘One of the main attractions of the University of Malaya is that the university environment is diverse, professional and friendly. The interaction between local and international students flows smoothly because the English language is widely spoken in the campus.

‘The Department of History provides a very conducive environment for study as it gives much attention to the development of a professional and friendly relationship between the supervisors and their students, making the research work much easier and efficient.’

Yanin Wongmai from Thailand enrolled for a Master of Arts in Southeast Asian history at the Department of History:

‘After completing my Bachelor of Arts in Thailand I enrolled in the Master of Arts in Southeast Asian History at the Department of History at the University of Malaya.

‘The study of the history of neighbouring countries in Thailand is still very limited. I was concerned that that the most essential part of Southeast Asian Studies in Thailand was mostly reliant on Western countries. That was the reason for my strong interest in studying Southeast Asian history from a Southeast Asian perspective and to fill a gap in the study of Southeast Asia among local scholars and to strengthen the study of the region in Thailand.

‘At the Department of History, the professors taught me to examine historical issues by asking questions and enquiring with a critical mind. In the classrooms I also learnt how to convert information into useful knowledge.’

Alumni

History Department alumni can be found in various profession and they have contributed immensely to the development of the nation. History graduates from the department have promising career prospects in the fields of public administration and diplomacy (since 1964 until present, graduates from the Department of History have been continuously appointed by the Public Service Department to serve as public administrators and diplomats), banking, corporate and education sectors. Here are some of the well-known figures graduated from the History Department.

Journal

Sejarah is a journal of the Department of History, University of Malaya which was published in 1988. The publication of Sejarah was actually a continuation of the tradition of publishing journals that had been carried out by the Department of History since the 1960s. Prior to Sejarah, the Department of History had produced many journals, including The Journal of the Historical Society in 1961/62 that was replaced by Jernal Sejarah (1970/71 – 1977/78) and Jurnal Hubungan Antarabangsa (1972/73 – 1975/76) to include writings on political development and international relations as part of the syllabus of the Department.

The Department did not publish any academic journal after Jernal Sejarah ceased publication in 1977/78. The Department and the Historical Society, University of Malaya, cooperated again in 1984/85 when the latter published Monograf Sejarah (No. 1 1984/85). This was followed by a period of non activity until the emergence of Sejarah in 1988.

The objective of Sejarah is to provide an avenue for academics and students to write about their findings on Malaysian history and to provide platform for discussions and debates on various issues of historical relevance to Malaysia and the world. The first chief editor of this journal was . Prof.J. Kathirithamby - Wells and the editorial board consist of Abdullah Zakaria Ghazali, Adnan Haji Nawang, Amarjit Kaur, Mohamad Abu Bakar and Mohd Hear Awang. Currently Sejarah is published twice in a year and include articles in both Malay and English. It accepts historical writings on Malaysia, Asia, Southeast Asia, etc. Contributions are received from within and outside Malaysia. From this year onward this journal is published online and can be accessed by click bottom link

Seminars

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY SEMINARS 2016

The Department of History Seminar Series for the year 2016 kicked off with a stimulating talk titled Sejarah bola sepak di Malaysia (‘History of football in Malaysia’) on the development of the sport in Malaysia by the department’s Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Dr. Khoo Kay Kim, an excellent footballer in his younger days. Professor Khoo traced the early beginnings of football in the country during the British colonial period and then gave an interesting insight into the development of the game up till the 1960s.

On 19th February 2016, Datuk Dr. Abdullah Zakaria Ghazali from the Department of History, University of Malaya, presented a paper titled Pergerakan Pemuda Melayu Sibu dan pembunuhan Gabenor Sarawak Duncan Stewart 1949, (‘The Sibu Malay Youth Movement and the killing of the Sarawak Governor Duncan Stewart in 1949’) on the controversy surrounding the killing of the British governor in Sarawak in 1949 based on his examination of primary documents obtained recently from the National Archives in Kew, London.

Sahul Hamid bin Mohamed Maiddin, a lecturer from the Department of History at the Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) in Tanjong Malim, Perak, who recently completed his Ph.D at the University of Sydney, gave an interesting perspective on the use of propaganda in education in Indonesia during the Sukarno era in his talk titled Pendidikan sebagai alat propaganda: Pengalaman Indonesia di bawah Demokrasi Terpimpin Sukarno, on 18 March 2016.

Professor Dr Daniel Perret from Ecole Française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO), Kuala Lumpur, gave a talk titled Patani di dalam jaringan-jaringan perdagangan jarak jauh pada abad ke 17 (Patani in the trading networks in the 1th century) on 20 May 2015 at the Bilik Sumber (Resource Room) in the Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya.

On 24 May 1956, the husband and wife team of renowned historians from the United States, Professor Leonard Y. Andaya and Professor Barbara Watson Andaya from the University of Hawaii, each gave a stimulating talk on two different but very informative topics on Southeast Asian history. Professor Leonard Andaya discussed early trade in Southeast Asia and his talk was titled, ‘Chinese involvement in the trade of Eastern Indonesia in the early modern period.’ Professor Barbara Andaya gave an interesting insight into Christianity and the overseas Chinese and her talk was titled, ‘Christianity, conversion, overseas Chinese: Historical moments in religious interaction.’ The talks were held at Lecture Hall B, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya.

Dr Azhar Mat Aros, a Senior Lecturer with the Department of History, University of Malaya, and a specialist on the history of Japan, gave a valuable overview of Japanese history on 29 July 2016 in his talk on the origins of the Japanese people and civilization. The talk was held at the Bilik Sumber (Resource Room) in the Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya.

On 26 August 2016, Dr Yunus bin Sauman @ Sabin from the Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris in Tanjong Malim, Perak, and a former tutor in the Department of History at the University of Malaya, gave a refreshing talk on a less frequented aspect of history, the importance of log coffins as a valuable source of historical information, in a talk entitled, ‘Keranda Kayu Balak di Sabah sebagai sumber sejarah tidak bertulis,’ (Log coffins in Sabah as unwritten historical source).

On 7 September 2016, Mr Victor Bibby, a retired engineer from Australia, gave an engrossing account of a pioneer gold miner in Raub, Pahang - his great grandfather, William Bibby. The talk stemmed from his research for a biography of his great grandfather William who arrived in Raub in 1889 from Australia and developed one of the earliest gold mines in Malaya. The talk was held at the Bilik Sumber (Resource Room) in the Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya.

Book Awards

The Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is the oldest school of historical studies in Malaysia. Established in 1959, the department had been underpinned by the support of famous historians such as John Bastin, D.K. Bassett, C.M. Turnbull, Anthony J.S. Reid and William R. Roff. It also had the honour of grooming well-known local historians, including Wang Gungwu, Jeyamalar Kathirithamby-Wells, Amarjit Kaur and Chandran Jeshurun. Presently, the department is privileged to be affiliated with three eminent professors emeritus of Malaysian history, namely Tan Sri Dr. Khoo Kay Kim, Dato’ Wira Dr. Yusoff Hashim and Dr. Ahmat Adam.

Ever since its establishment until today, the department has been receiving a large number of students of whom many became quite well-known in both governmental and private sectors. During the 1970s, the number of undergraduates enrolled (Year 1, 2 and 3) was in the thousands. The 1991/92 session was particularly remarkable as the department recorded the highest intake of 1,299 students. Student enrollment recorded high levels until 2001, after which it started to decline. In spite of that, the department maintains its appeal to pre-university students.

In order to encourage students to carry out original research on Malaysian history based on primary source materials, a gold medal and two book awards are currently awarded by the department. The awards are as follow:

1. Malaysian Historical Society Gold Medal Award

This award is given by the Malaysian Historical Society to the best graduates in History from five public Universities – University of Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). The intention is to encourage interest for high-quality research on the history of Malaysia. The first recipient was from University of Malaya (1998), followed by UKM / USM ( 2006), and UPSI / UMS (2010).

2. K.K. Nair Memorial Book Prize Award

The award, instituted in the 1987/88 academic session, is offered by the courtesy of the family members of the late Dr. K.K. Nair, who had made significant contributions to the department. It was established with an initial contribution of RM4,000 from a group of well wishers. This sum was channeled to the University of Malaya through Dr. T. Chelliah, the widow of the late K.K. Nair. The Memorial Book Prize Award is awarded to distinguished students of the department based on their final examination results.

3. R.R. Bonney @ Mohd. Hamdan Book Prize Award

This award was initiated in the academic session of 1987/1988 and is a contribution of the family of the late Dr. R.R. Bonney, who had served in the Department of History. It was established with a fund totaling RM4,000 donated by staff members of the department, their family members, and friends of the late R.R. Bonney. The R.R. Bonney @ Mohd. Hamdan Book Prize is awarded annually to the best student of the department.

Contact Us

The Department of History welcomes visiting academics and researchers from other universities, as well as international and local visitors and students. Find out more about our Department, and if you have any inquiry, do not hesitate to contact us:

Contact Details:

Department of History
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
50603, University of Malaya
Tel : +603-79675507/5569
Fax : +603-79675463
Email: fass_history@um.edu.my